A walk-along circular saw plywood ripper. I put a 4 foot handle on a circular saw. It was attached to a plywood plate and a right angle edge, that positions the blade exactly 10" from a ripping guide.
I can rip plywood sitting on 2x4's on the floor by just walking along guiding the circular saw against the guide. Just like using a lawn edger.
Very accurate, safe, and convenient.
Holy Cow! Where would one even start with this comment? I'm no safety nazi, but even I wouldn't be doing this.
photos puleeze!!!
Max
"Mike Marlow" wrote in news:65ecc$47fe8a1f $45289785$ snipped-for-privacy@ALLTEL.NET:
@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
I thought about it for a bit, and I think I visually understand what the OP was describing. It doesn't seem unsafe, or more unsafe than using the saw normally.
The jig the OP described was a piece of wood that his circular saw sits on, with a handle from the wood piece up. With the saw on the 2x4s just above the floor, he can walk next to it controlling it from the handle.
Something like this: _/
If the saw was to hit a hard object and kick back, the saw itself would probably be flying. Chances are, if it hits you it'd hit your legs. (So wear shin guards. Doesn't everyone keep a pair next to their tools?) Negative marks if the OP didn't connect a switch to the handle so he can shut the saw off there. Another risk would be the saw hits something and the handle jerks suddenly. You could injure your wrist in this case. However, when was the last time you saw a saw jump and twist like a drill that got stuck?
Thus far, it doesn't really seem like the jig is that unsafe. Opinions either way?
Puckdropper
I thought about it too, before I posted. Putting a circular saw on the end of a 3 or 4 foot stick is just plain stupid. No other way around it. What kind of control do you really think you can exert over that saw with this kind of extension? You've never had a circular saw jump, or attempt to jump in your hand? If not, all I can say is you have not used a circular saw very much.
You start with a clear floor.
Place 4 2x4's flat on the floor..
1 on each of the long sides to support the width of the 4x8 sheet.Place the other 2 on either side of the line to be cut.
The middle 2 support the cut boards and prevent pinching the blade when the cut is almost complete.
Use a plate about 50% longer than the circular saw plate
Plug the circular saw into your extension handle that has its own on/ off switch.
The spring-loaded saw safety remain fully functional.
Set the depth of cut beyond the new plate less than 1-1/2" to avoid hitting the floor.
I use a clamped on Stanley rip cutting jig.
Works like a charm!
Thanks for your comment.
What stops the 2x4's from binding?
I think I will pass. I fail to see how safe, accurate, or convenient this would be. Sometimes a circular saw can be a handful when you are hanging on to it like it was intended, let alone with a 4 foot extension handle on it! When I need to rip some ply I either lay it across a couple saw horses and stand beside it, or just run it through my table saw. Greg
Please clarify your comments. I was unable to understand your somewhat clouded point of view on this subject.
I would like to read your "clarifications" when I pick myself up off the floor where I fell off my chair from laughing so hard.
Come on, Mike. What were you >>really
Sounds to me like someone is preparing for a run at the Darwin Awards.
How do you control kickback? What happens when kickback occurs and you've got a moving circ saw at the end of a 4 foot pole? How do you turn it off?
I can say one thing with certainty... I'm not going to build this "jig".
And another... The original post smells like a troll to me.
Touche.
Lew
Carpenters used to have to just worry about keeping all their fingers. Now it is toes also?
Why would they bind? They aren't being cut, just supporting the panel.
If I'm using a power hand saw to cut a panel I do it exactly the same way...support the panel at/near the edges and on both sides of where I want to cut. Doesn't everyone?
I just kneel on the sheet after placing it on a 4'x8' 2" foam sheet.
The handle will be interesting if anything goes bad.
Besides, would you rather lose a toe or a finger?
Clarification: The extended handle is at an angle.
I am walking about 2 feet behind the blade.
The trigger is held by my finger.
(A secondary safety in series pressure switch could be installed should the saw plate rise from the board)
[not a bad idea for all saws]Assuming that the saw kicks back or rises, the guard would be in place before the saw would reach me.
Thanks for your inputs.
I'm often accused of being too timid to express my real feelings on a matter....
I just plan ahead and have my supplier cut ply on their panel cutter. Need to get one of those or make one.
Rich
Thu, Apr 10, 2008, 2:15pm (EDT-3) snipped-for-privacy@aaronj.com (BoyntonStu) doth burble: =A0=A0A walk-along circular saw plywood ripper. I put a 4 foot handle on a circular saw. It was attached to a plywood plate and a right angle edge, that positions the blade exactly 10" from a ripping guide. I can rip plywood sitting on 2x4's on the floor by just walking along guiding the circular saw against the guide. Just like using a lawn edger. Very accurate, safe, and convenient.
Yeah, I drop by every 2-3 days, but only read the first page or two.
I've read the replies up to now. Convenient? Seems more like a gadget to me. Safe? I suppose. Accurate? I don't see it.
With my joints I have problems handling sheet goods anymore. So normally get mine sliced by my supplier, on their panel saw. No room for my own or I'd have made one long ago. I'm not desperate, so only been pondering different solutions so var. Straightedge and circular saw works fine, but not quite what I want. However, this idea did give me an idea. Because of what I'm involved with now, most of my pieces are cut short way from panels at 5 7/8" wide. So, making a plywood shoe to attach to the circular saw shoe, then put a lip on that shoe, so it would butt against the panel, being held in place of course, and would give consistent same width cuts. No set-up time, just have to make sure the panel didn't move to throw the panel off. This seems definitely doable. I'd also make sure there was a cutout so the guard would operate. One thing - on any of my jigs or whatever, I make damn sure I'd have to work hard to stick my fingers in the whirley parts, so I'd make a handgrip for the free hand, and some pieces that would block anyone's hand/fingers from the blad even if they did something stupid. The other hand would be on the saw handle, and trigger. Should be safe enough - I've never had problems with kickback with a carcular saw.
JOAT
10 Out Of 10 Terrorists Prefer Hillary For President - Bumper Sticker I do not have a problem with a woman president - except for Hillary.
What I don't get is, instead of building a long handle thingee with a trigger on it so you can bend over and set your plywood on two by fours, why not build this table instead?
The panel cutting table gets the panel up where it's easy to work, handles a full sheet of ply very well, has many other uses, is really cheap and quick to build, and it stores easily.
There's lots of ways to do it and I'm not saying you shouldn't do it your way but I have to admit it makes me a little nervous, even with the trigger on it.
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